Pineapple Chicken Salad

I’m trying to come up with healthy meals that I can make ahead of time so that we different options on activity nights. I love a nice family sit down meal, but some nights it just isn’t possible. So I am trying to figure out lots of meals that we can either pack up and go or eat quickly when we get home later than usual.

Jim and I recently started playing squash at our gym and I am kind of obsessed. My plan is to play every Thursday night and bring dinner to eat out by the pool afterwards (in order to get the kids to happily agree to our new plan.) We also have gymnastics on Tuesdays which makes for a late dinner. I found myself eating some strange meals (like eggs and canned collard greens) on a few nights that I wasn’t prepared, so I decided to start a list of options for these types of evenings.

Enter the Pineapple Chicken Salad.

I was surprised how much everyone liked these. My oldest daughter, Ella particularly loved them and I think she was even surprised how much. The first night we had them I served them in warmed whole wheat pitas and the second night we had them in wraps. Both were good, but I particularly liked the pitas.

The great thing about these is that you get everything in one shot. Lean Protein – check. Complex Carbohydrates – check. Fruits and Veggies – check. Yumminess – double check. The creaminess comes from a combo of greek yogurt and light mayo and there are some sliced almonds for that nutty crunch that I just love in chicken salad.

If I was going to take these to the pool I would probably stuff the pitas ahead of time and wrap them up in some foil for everyone. Throw some grapes or carrots in a plastic container and we can call it a meal.

Enjoy!

PS….I am starting a new tag for Busy Night Meals. I would also love to hear any suggestions for meals for busy nights. I need to be able to make everything ahead of time and ideally it should be portable or easy to reheat.